The 2009 model is called the Stout. This is my first singlespeed and first 29er. The ride is very smooth. Big tires absorb more bumps than I thought with a rigid fork. SS riding is addictive. Overall the quality of the bike is good, the price is great. The only real complaint is the nutted front wheel hub. Not too many vehicles can fit the bike inside without removing the front wheel and it is a pain to get back in place. Also not thrilled about carrying a 15mm wrench when I ride in case of a flat. Otherwise great for someone wanting to try out SS/29er without breaking the bank. The ability to add gears later is a very nice feature. Would give 5 chilis overall if the front wheel was QR.

Weaknesses: hubs are not disc ready, nano raptors are better on the road than on the loose trail, if you plan on using this as a commuter on more flat roads you will make out at roughly 13-14mph peddling pretty fast

Bottom Line:

The Stout is a tough bike and at this price point is hard to beat. It is ready for upgrades if so desired and can tackle most anything you throw at it. It isn't the most popular bike as SE pushes more of their BMX line but this will turn heads in the parking lot and will eat whatever you throw at it.

My review is for the Stout, which is what they call the BM Flyer now. I really like this bike. Ditch the XC stem and put a short, low rise BMX stem on there and feel the difference. You'll want different gearing and better brakes pretty quickly. I'm about to replace the freewheel because of the corny OEM. Super underrated bike!

More bike than you can get for the price anywhere else. The 29" wheels and geometry are spot on to deliver a ride just as good or better than my hardtail 26". At about $180 less than the Redline Monocog 29er, you get the same experience with some inferior design.

Unfortunately, since it is set up like a conversion from a geared bike, a lot of the parts are not optimal for SS. Still, it's a great value, especially if you want a cheap bike to convert to a geared rear.

As a side note: although not available in the US, the 2006 model has track ends but loses the disc mounts.

Bike Setup: Stock, soon to replace bmx bb & cranks, which are some proprietary stuff that I can't get a replacement for.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Mik
a Racer
from Chicago, IL

Date Reviewed: July 25, 2006

Strengths: 2005 model is well built. Light weight, solid ride. No shock fork failure here. One speed and I can pace most other riders.

Weaknesses: The allen crank bolts should be hex bolts. Riding without hands is a task even for me. I would beef up the rims a bit. No room for "U" Lock, no mounts for water bottle. :)

Bottom Line:

You are "thirty something" and want the freestyle/BMX bike you yurn for from your youth. This is it. Fun on the street, at the skatepark(really)and for off road shenanigans. Skip the extra gears and go for solid axels and some foot pegs and an odessey GYRO.

The 2006 model swaps aluminum forks for cro-mo(think less shock) also changes out the rear dropouts for some forkends to tighten the chain and straightened the seat tube. I don't like the blue color and the website last I checked stated 2006 model not available in US. SO get the 2005 model at a discount and it's red to boot!

Bike Setup: Swapped the Kenda Klaws for some Schwalbe "Big Apple's" and seat bag for chain lock. Dumped the axel skewers for some bolt-ons(this is the big city if they want to steal it bad enough make em' bring their tools).

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
George Seibel
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Davids, PA, USA

Date Reviewed: May 24, 2006

Strengths: Fun, Robust

Weaknesses: No complaints here.

Bottom Line:

I rode it on a whim while at the bike shop and fell in love. The big wheels are a gas. I put gears on it, but to tell you the truth, I'm considering going back to single speed because I like the toughness and simplicity. Other reviewers mentioned the weight, but I don't find that to be a problem. I got it really cheap because the frame was scratched. $279 before I added the extra parts. What a deal! One of the reasons I bought it was to encourage myself to get more off the trail, and it has. The geometry and big wheels are pretty confidence inspiring.

Strengths: Burly. Nearly impossible to break. No bunk parts, even the stock tires (Kenda Klaws) are decent. Fun geometry: short top tube, short stem, big riser bars. My red 2005 came with disc hubs...the rear is a regular cassette with spacers, and the frame has all cable stops, disc tabs, and hydro guides, so you can gear it or disc it with no problem.

Weaknesses: Heavy, almost 28 pounds. Stock gearing is 41-18, which is only usable on flat pavement. It uses BMX cranks, so just get yourself a 28-32T chainwheel (depending on local hills) and you'll be good to go.Racer types will hate the geometry.

Bottom Line:

A great technical terrain play bike, and a blast to ride. Other people might go faster, but you'll have more fun.

Weaknesses: Short top tube, I don't need 36 hole wheels, little on the heavy side.

Bottom Line:

The bike is tons of fun and you cant break it. I love the simplicity of single speeds and this one is no exception. I do quite a bit of mountain bike racing and of course this isn't an ideal racing bike, the top tube is too short and its really just a big kids bmx bike. Its great to train on and being disc ready is a big plus. I bought it as a starter 29er to see if I would like it and if performed flawlessly. I'll be upgrading to a more raceable 29er soon.